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Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness

April 11, 2024

The Frank Church—River of No Return Wilderness Area is a protected wilderness area in Idaho.[2] It was created in 1980 by the United States Congress and renamed in 1984 as the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Area in honor of U.S. Senator Frank Church.

Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness
LocationIdaho / Valley / Lemhi / Custer counties, Idaho, U.S.
Nearest cityYellow Pine, Idaho
Coordinates45°3′55″N 114°57′16″W / 45.06528°N 114.95444°W / 45.06528; -114.95444
Area2,366,827 acres (9,578.21 km2)
EstablishedJanuary 1, 1980 (1980-01-01)
Governing bodyU.S. Forest Service
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
Map of Idaho showing location of the
Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness

At 2.367 million acres (9,580 km2), it is the largest contiguous federally managed wilderness in the United States outside of Alaska. The Death Valley Wilderness is the largest single designated area but consists of numerous disconnected units.[3][4] The wilderness protects several mountain ranges, extensive wildlife, and a popular whitewater rafting river: the Salmon River.

Description edit

Together with the adjacent Gospel Hump Wilderness and surrounding unprotected roadless Forest Service land, it is the core of a 3.3 million acre (13,000 km2) roadless area.[5] It is separated from the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, to the north, by a single dirt road (the Magruder Corridor).[5] The wilderness contains parts of several mountain ranges, including the Salmon River Mountains, the Clearwater Mountains, and the Bighorn Crags. The ranges are split by steep canyons of the Middle and Main forks of the Salmon River.[5] The Salmon River is a popular destination for whitewater rafting,[5] and is known as the "River of No Return" for its swift current and large rapids which make upstream travel difficult.[6] Most of the area is covered by coniferous forests, with dry, open land along the rivers at lower elevations.[5]

While designation as a wilderness area in the United States generally requires the prohibition of any motorized machinery, the use of jetboats (On the Main Fork of the Salmon River) and 26 airstrips are permitted in this wilderness as grandfathered existing uses before the wilderness was designated.[5][7]

National forests edit

The Frank Church—River of No Return Wilderness is located in six different national forests plus a relatively tiny portion of land of the Bureau of Land Management, more components than any other wilderness. In descending order of acreage they are:[8]

History edit

In 1931, 1,090,000 acres (4,400 km2) in Central Idaho were declared by the U.S. Forest Service as The Idaho Primitive Area. In 1963, the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness was split into three parts: The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, the Salmon River Breaks Primitive area, and the Magruder Corridor—the land between the two areas.

Frank Church was the Senate floor sponsor for the Wilderness Act of 1964, which protected 9 million acres (36,000 km2) of United States land as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. In 1968, he introduced the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, which included the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, so that rivers "shall be preserved in free-flowing condition, and that they and their immediate environments shall be protected for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations."

Church's environmental legislation culminated in 1980 with the passage of the Central Idaho Wilderness Act. The act created the River of No Return Wilderness by combining the Idaho Primitive Area, the Salmon River Breaks Primitive Area, and a portion of the Magruder Corridor.[5] The Act also added 125 miles (200 km) of the Salmon River to the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. President Carter had taken his family on a three-day float trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in August 1978, accompanied by Interior Secretary Cecil Andrus,[9] the former (and future) Idaho governor. The administration forwarded a central Idaho wilderness proposal to Congress later that year[10] and Carter signed the final act on July 23, 1980.[11] In January 1984, Congress honored Senator Church, who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, by renaming the area The Frank Church—River of No Return Wilderness. Idaho Senator Jim McClure introduced the measure in the Senate in late February,[12] and President Reagan signed the act on March 14,[13] less than four weeks before Church's death on April 7 at age 59.[14][15]

Wildlife edit

Because of its size the wilderness area provides a secluded habitat for a wide variety of mammal species, including some rare, vulnerable species. The wilderness is inhabited by a large population of mountain lions and grey wolves. Populations of black bears, as well as lynx, coyote, and red fox are scattered throughout the area. Other observable ruminant wildlife within the wilderness include bighorn sheep, mountain goats, elk, moose, mule deer, and white tail deer. While this area has been deemed as one of the few remaining areas in the contiguous states with suitable habitat for grizzly bears, no established populations are known to exist. The wilderness also offers some of the most critical habitat for wolverines in the lower 48 states. Beavers that were parachuted into the area (Beaver drop) from Idaho (in 1948) have established a healthy colony here.[16]

Wolves once ranged throughout nearly all of Idaho but by 1930 became locally extinct from shooting, trapping and poisoning.[17] After they were nearly wiped out in the lower 48 states, wolves in Idaho were declared endangered in 1974 under the Endangered Species Act.[18] In 1995, wolves from Canada were reintroduced here due to the remote location, the availability of prey and the area being under federal jurisdiction.[19] In the same year, wolves were also released in Yellowstone National Park.[20] By the next year, three packs were identified and the first pups were observed.[21] By 1998, there were at least 10 breeding pairs which was one component of the recovery project. In compliance with a rider attached to a Senate budget bill, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed wolves in Idaho and Montana from the endangered species list in 2011.[22]

Incidents edit

On August 7, 2013, a retired sheriff and three other horseback riders in the rugged back country encountered Hannah Anderson and her abductor, James DiMaggio. FBI agents rescued Anderson and killed DiMaggio near Morehead Lake on August 10.[23]

See also edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness

References edit

  1. ^ "Frank Church - River of No Return". Protected Planet. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  2. ^ a b "Maps | Data Basin". databasin.org. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  3. ^ "Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  4. ^ . Archived from the original on 2013-07-31. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g . Wilderness.net. Archived from the original on 2011-12-29. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
  6. ^ Allsop, Dani (February 6, 2020). "How the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area earned its name". KTVB. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  7. ^ Siegler, Kirk (September 23, 2023). "A lawsuit is challenging the vast number of airstrips in Idaho's protected wilderness". NPR News.
  8. ^ "Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness acreage breakdown". Wilderness.net. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
  9. ^ "Carter: he may get wet, but he won't starve". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. August 23, 1978. p. 1.
  10. ^ "Idaho wilderness area proposed". Tri-City Herald. Associated Press. December 21, 1978. p. 30.
  11. ^ "President signs bill establishing Idaho wilderness". Eugene Register-Guard. UPI. July 23, 1980. p. 5A.
  12. ^ "Idaho acts to rename area after Frank Church". Deseret News. UPI. February 28, 1984. p. 10B.
  13. ^ "Reagan signs bill naming area after Frank Church". Spokane Chronicle. Associated Press. March 15, 1984. p. 3.
  14. ^ "Idaho ex-Sen. Frank Church dies of cancer". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. April 8, 1984. p. 1.
  15. ^ "Frank Church dies of cancer". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (from The Washington Post). April 8, 1984. p. 1.
  16. ^ Wright, Samantha (2015-01-14). "Parachuting Beavers Into Idaho's Wilderness? Yes, It Really Happened". Boise State Public Radio. Retrieved 2021-09-02.
  17. ^ Kaminski, Timmothy J (October 1998). Zoogeography of Gray Wolves (Canis lupus ) in Idaho: A Historical Review (Thesis). University of Montana – via ScholarWorks.
  18. ^ "Wolf Management Background". Idaho Fish and Game.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  19. ^ Stuebner, Steve (October 28, 2019). "Wolf reintroduction to Idaho creates conflict". Post Register. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  20. ^ French, Brett (January 22, 2020). "25 years later: Politics, myths and the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone". Idaho State Journal. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  21. ^ "Wolf Management / Status Timeline". Idaho Fish and Game. 18 February 2016. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  22. ^ Cohen, Rachel (January 14, 2020). "25 Years Ago, Wolves Were Reintroduced To Idaho". Boise State Public Radio News.
  23. ^ Dvorak, Todd (12 August 2013). "Man suspected of abducting 16-year-old girl shot rifle once or twice during rescue". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 13 August 2013.

Further reading edit

  • Dant, Sara (May 2008). "Making Wilderness Work: Frank Church and the American Wilderness Movement". Pacific Historical Review. 77 (2): 237–272. doi:10.1525/phr.2008.77.2.237.

External links edit

  • Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, Salmon-Challis National Forest, U.S. Forest Service
    • User's Guide – December 2001 revision
  • Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Wilderness Connect
  • TopoQuest map of the wilderness
  • Wolverines: Ghosts In Our Woods from Sun Valley Guide
  • Idaho Public Television 2013-06-16 at the Wayback Machine – The Frank Church Wilderness

April 11, 2024
frank, church, river, return, wilderness, frank, church, river, return, wilderness, area, protected, wilderness, area, idaho, created, 1980, united, states, congress, renamed, 1984, frank, church, river, return, wilderness, area, honor, senator, frank, church,. The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area is a protected wilderness area in Idaho 2 It was created in 1980 by the United States Congress and renamed in 1984 as the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area in honor of U S Senator Frank Church Frank Church River of No Return WildernessIUCN category Ib wilderness area 1 2 LocationIdaho Valley Lemhi Custer counties Idaho U S Nearest cityYellow Pine IdahoCoordinates45 3 55 N 114 57 16 W 45 06528 N 114 95444 W 45 06528 114 95444Area2 366 827 acres 9 578 21 km2 EstablishedJanuary 1 1980 1980 01 01 Governing bodyU S Forest ServiceU S Bureau of Land ManagementMap of Idaho showing location of theFrank Church River of No Return WildernessAt 2 367 million acres 9 580 km2 it is the largest contiguous federally managed wilderness in the United States outside of Alaska The Death Valley Wilderness is the largest single designated area but consists of numerous disconnected units 3 4 The wilderness protects several mountain ranges extensive wildlife and a popular whitewater rafting river the Salmon River Contents 1 Description 1 1 National forests 2 History 3 Wildlife 4 Incidents 5 See also 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksDescription editTogether with the adjacent Gospel Hump Wilderness and surrounding unprotected roadless Forest Service land it is the core of a 3 3 million acre 13 000 km2 roadless area 5 It is separated from the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness to the north by a single dirt road the Magruder Corridor 5 The wilderness contains parts of several mountain ranges including the Salmon River Mountains the Clearwater Mountains and the Bighorn Crags The ranges are split by steep canyons of the Middle and Main forks of the Salmon River 5 The Salmon River is a popular destination for whitewater rafting 5 and is known as the River of No Return for its swift current and large rapids which make upstream travel difficult 6 Most of the area is covered by coniferous forests with dry open land along the rivers at lower elevations 5 While designation as a wilderness area in the United States generally requires the prohibition of any motorized machinery the use of jetboats On the Main Fork of the Salmon River and 26 airstrips are permitted in this wilderness as grandfathered existing uses before the wilderness was designated 5 7 National forests edit The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness is located in six different national forests plus a relatively tiny portion of land of the Bureau of Land Management more components than any other wilderness In descending order of acreage they are 8 Payette National Forest 33 45 Challis National Forest 21 78 Salmon National Forest 17 81 now administratively combined with Challis NF so that their total is 39 59 Boise National Forest 14 06 Bitterroot National Forest 8 18 Nez Perce National Forest 4 68 Bureau of Land Management 0 034 History editIn 1931 1 090 000 acres 4 400 km2 in Central Idaho were declared by the U S Forest Service as The Idaho Primitive Area In 1963 the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness was split into three parts The Selway Bitterroot Wilderness the Salmon River Breaks Primitive area and the Magruder Corridor the land between the two areas Frank Church was the Senate floor sponsor for the Wilderness Act of 1964 which protected 9 million acres 36 000 km2 of United States land as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System In 1968 he introduced the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act which included the Middle Fork of the Salmon River so that rivers shall be preserved in free flowing condition and that they and their immediate environments shall be protected for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations Church s environmental legislation culminated in 1980 with the passage of the Central Idaho Wilderness Act The act created the River of No Return Wilderness by combining the Idaho Primitive Area the Salmon River Breaks Primitive Area and a portion of the Magruder Corridor 5 The Act also added 125 miles 200 km of the Salmon River to the Wild and Scenic Rivers System President Carter had taken his family on a three day float trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in August 1978 accompanied by Interior Secretary Cecil Andrus 9 the former and future Idaho governor The administration forwarded a central Idaho wilderness proposal to Congress later that year 10 and Carter signed the final act on July 23 1980 11 In January 1984 Congress honored Senator Church who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer by renaming the area The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Idaho Senator Jim McClure introduced the measure in the Senate in late February 12 and President Reagan signed the act on March 14 13 less than four weeks before Church s death on April 7 at age 59 14 15 Wildlife editBecause of its size the wilderness area provides a secluded habitat for a wide variety of mammal species including some rare vulnerable species The wilderness is inhabited by a large population of mountain lions and grey wolves Populations of black bears as well as lynx coyote and red fox are scattered throughout the area Other observable ruminant wildlife within the wilderness include bighorn sheep mountain goats elk moose mule deer and white tail deer While this area has been deemed as one of the few remaining areas in the contiguous states with suitable habitat for grizzly bears no established populations are known to exist The wilderness also offers some of the most critical habitat for wolverines in the lower 48 states Beavers that were parachuted into the area Beaver drop from Idaho in 1948 have established a healthy colony here 16 Wolves once ranged throughout nearly all of Idaho but by 1930 became locally extinct from shooting trapping and poisoning 17 After they were nearly wiped out in the lower 48 states wolves in Idaho were declared endangered in 1974 under the Endangered Species Act 18 In 1995 wolves from Canada were reintroduced here due to the remote location the availability of prey and the area being under federal jurisdiction 19 In the same year wolves were also released in Yellowstone National Park 20 By the next year three packs were identified and the first pups were observed 21 By 1998 there were at least 10 breeding pairs which was one component of the recovery project In compliance with a rider attached to a Senate budget bill U S Fish and Wildlife Service removed wolves in Idaho and Montana from the endangered species list in 2011 22 Incidents editOn August 7 2013 a retired sheriff and three other horseback riders in the rugged back country encountered Hannah Anderson and her abductor James DiMaggio FBI agents rescued Anderson and killed DiMaggio near Morehead Lake on August 10 23 See also edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness List of U S Wilderness Areas Wilderness ActReferences edit Frank Church River of No Return Protected Planet Retrieved 2018 12 29 a b Maps Data Basin databasin org Retrieved 2018 12 29 Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness U S Forest Service Retrieved August 8 2015 Wilderness net search page Archived from the original on 2013 07 31 Retrieved 2011 12 25 a b c d e f g Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Wilderness net Archived from the original on 2011 12 29 Retrieved 2011 12 25 Allsop Dani February 6 2020 How the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area earned its name KTVB Retrieved 2021 09 06 Siegler Kirk September 23 2023 A lawsuit is challenging the vast number of airstrips in Idaho s protected wilderness NPR News Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness acreage breakdown Wilderness net Retrieved 2012 07 06 Carter he may get wet but he won t starve Lewiston Morning Tribune Associated Press August 23 1978 p 1 Idaho wilderness area proposed Tri City Herald Associated Press December 21 1978 p 30 President signs bill establishing Idaho wilderness Eugene Register Guard UPI July 23 1980 p 5A Idaho acts to rename area after Frank Church Deseret News UPI February 28 1984 p 10B Reagan signs bill naming area after Frank Church Spokane Chronicle Associated Press March 15 1984 p 3 Idaho ex Sen Frank Church dies of cancer Spokesman Review Associated Press April 8 1984 p 1 Frank Church dies of cancer Lewiston Morning Tribune from The Washington Post April 8 1984 p 1 Wright Samantha 2015 01 14 Parachuting Beavers Into Idaho s Wilderness Yes It Really Happened Boise State Public Radio Retrieved 2021 09 02 Kaminski Timmothy J October 1998 Zoogeography of Gray Wolves Canis lupus in Idaho A Historical Review Thesis University of Montana via ScholarWorks Wolf Management Background Idaho Fish and Game nbsp This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Stuebner Steve October 28 2019 Wolf reintroduction to Idaho creates conflict Post Register Retrieved 2021 09 05 French Brett January 22 2020 25 years later Politics myths and the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone Idaho State Journal Retrieved 2021 09 05 Wolf Management Status Timeline Idaho Fish and Game 18 February 2016 Retrieved 2021 09 05 Cohen Rachel January 14 2020 25 Years Ago Wolves Were Reintroduced To Idaho Boise State Public Radio News Dvorak Todd 12 August 2013 Man suspected of abducting 16 year old girl shot rifle once or twice during rescue Winnipeg Free Press Retrieved 13 August 2013 Further reading editDant Sara May 2008 Making Wilderness Work Frank Church and the American Wilderness Movement Pacific Historical Review 77 2 237 272 doi 10 1525 phr 2008 77 2 237 External links editFrank Church River of No Return Wilderness Salmon Challis National Forest U S Forest Service User s Guide December 2001 revision Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Wilderness Connect TopoQuest map of the wilderness Wolverines Ghosts In Our Woods from Sun Valley Guide Idaho Public Television Archived 2013 06 16 at the Wayback Machine The Frank Church Wilderness The Frank Church Wilderness video Documentary produced by Idaho Public Television Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness amp oldid 1188537047, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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